Pea puffer Tank Mates
Short answer: the best pea puffer tank mates are . Pea puffers need 72–82 °F (22–28 °C), pH 6.8–8 and at least 5 gallons.
Pea puffer care at a glance
| Adult size | 1.2 in (3 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 5 US gallons |
| Temperature | 72–82 °F (22–28 °C) |
| pH | 6.8–8 |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Swims in | All levels |
| Group size | Can be kept singly or in pairs |
| Care level | Moderate |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (0)
⚠️ Possible with caution (6)
- Tiger barb — Pea puffer is aggressive; tiger barb may get into fights with it.
- Amano shrimp — Pea puffer may eat small or moulting Amano shrimp.
- Black skirt tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive; black skirt tetra may get into fights with it.
- Serpae tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive; serpae tetra may get into fights with it.
- Swordtail — Pea puffer is aggressive; swordtail may get into fights with it.
- Buenos Aires tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive; Buenos Aires tetra may get into fights with it.
❌ Not recommended (65)
- Cherry shrimp — Pea puffer will hunt and eat cherry shrimp.
- Betta fish — Pea puffer is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of betta fish.
- Dwarf gourami — Both are territorial and use the same part of the tank, so constant fights are likely.
- Guppy — Pea puffer is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of guppy.
- Bristlenose pleco — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful bristlenose pleco.
- Fancy goldfish — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Pea puffer 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
- Harlequin rasbora — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful harlequin rasbora.
- Molly — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful molly.
- Neon tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful neon tetra.
- Platy — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful platy.
- Angelfish — An adult angelfish (up to 15 cm) is big enough to eat pea puffer (3 cm).
- Oscar — An adult oscar (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat pea puffer (3 cm).
- Nerite snail — Pea puffer eats snails.
- Celestial pearl danio — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful celestial pearl danio.
- Chili rasbora — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful chili rasbora.
- Ember tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful ember tetra.
- Endler's livebearer — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful Endler's livebearer.
- Mystery snail — Pea puffer eats snails.
- Otocinclus — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful otocinclus.
- Panda cory — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful panda cory.
- Bronze cory — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful bronze cory.
- Cardinal tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful cardinal tetra.
- Cherry barb — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful cherry barb.
- German blue ram — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful German blue ram.
- Glowlight tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful glowlight tetra.
- Honey gourami — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful honey gourami.
- Kuhli loach — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful kuhli loach.
- Rummy nose tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful rummy nose tetra.
- White cloud mountain minnow — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Pea puffer 22–28 °C (72–82 °F) vs White cloud mountain minnow 14–22 °C (57–72 °F).
- Zebra danio — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful zebra danio.
- Kribensis — Both are territorial and use the same part of the tank, so constant fights are likely.
- Pearl gourami — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful pearl gourami.
- Three spot gourami — An adult three spot gourami (up to 15 cm) is big enough to eat pea puffer (3 cm).
- Electric yellow cichlid — Electric yellow cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid: it needs hard, alkaline water and an African-cichlid community, and is too boisterous for pea puffer.
- Discus — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful discus.
- Rainbow shark — Both are territorial and use the same part of the tank, so constant fights are likely.
- Red tail shark — Both are territorial and use the same part of the tank, so constant fights are likely.
- Siamese algae eater — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful Siamese algae eater.
- Common pleco — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful common pleco.
- Clown loach — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful clown loach.
- Pygmy cory — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful pygmy cory.
- Sparkling gourami — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful sparkling gourami.
- Black neon tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetra.
- Bloodfin tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful bloodfin tetra.
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid — Both are territorial and use the same part of the tank, so constant fights are likely.
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful dwarf neon rainbowfish.
- Forktail blue-eye — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful forktail blue-eye.
- Glass catfish — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful glass catfish.
- Lemon tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful lemon tetra.
- Paradise fish — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Pea puffer 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
- Peppered cory — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful peppered cory.
- Sterbai cory — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful sterbai cory.
- X-ray tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful X-ray tetra.
- Congo tetra — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful Congo tetra.
- Convict cichlid — An adult convict cichlid (up to 15 cm) is big enough to eat pea puffer (3 cm).
- Gold barb — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful gold barb.
- Odessa barb — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful Odessa barb.
- Rosy barb — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful rosy barb.
- Upside-down catfish — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful upside-down catfish.
- Firemouth cichlid — An adult firemouth cichlid (up to 15 cm) is big enough to eat pea puffer (3 cm).
- Boesemani rainbowfish — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful Boesemani rainbowfish.
- Bolivian ram — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful Bolivian ram.
- Chinese algae eater — Both are territorial and use the same part of the tank, so constant fights are likely.
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat pea puffer (3 cm).
- Bala shark — An adult bala shark (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat pea puffer (3 cm).
How many pea puffers per tank?
5 gal 10 gal 20 gal 29 gal 40 gal 55 gal 75 gal — see what else fits with our stocking calculator.
FAQ
What fish can live with pea puffers?
Good matches include . They share a temperature range with pea puffers (72–82 °F (22–28 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with pea puffers?
Avoid Cherry shrimp, Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Fancy goldfish.
What size tank do pea puffers need?
We recommend at least 5 US gallons for one pea puffer, more if you add tank mates.
Can pea puffers live alone?
Yes. Pea puffers do not need a group, though they can be kept with compatible tank mates.
Note: Compatibility depends on individual temperament, tank size, decor and how fish are introduced. Our verdicts use conservative rules applied to published care data (see methodology). They are guidance, not a guarantee. Quarantine new fish and watch for chasing, torn fins or hiding.